We no longer service or sell any of the Calira range of products.
Calira Charger/Power Distribution Units are robust and sophisticated units but don't like tired batteries or being on long term EHU.
If you have a battery bank larger than that recommended by the manufacturer, both the Battery Bank and the Charger life will be shortened.
The Calira 30/20 and 38/20, both 20amp chargers, will support a battery bank no greater than 200Ah maximum. Bear in mind that the Calira range also charge the Starter Battery so an allowance must be made for this as well.
The earlier Calira chargers like the 17/12, is only a 12amp charger, so will support only 120Ah, including the Starter battery.
See the 'Battery Capacity' label on the Calira 38/20 below of 70 - 200Ah as an example
Using an inappropriate sized battery bank will damage the Calira.
Also note the label on the front that states, "Suitable for Gel or Lead Acid Batteries"? Clearly the unit does not support AGM batteries which require a different charging profile. The unit will not get the best from an AGM battery which may not be properly charged, as little as 80% of it's potential in some circumstances. Resulting in short battery life and subsequent charger failure.
AGM batteries will also take longer to charge than a quality Wet Acid Battery on a none optimised AGM charger and Alternator.
When used with a Calira 30/20 or 17/12 style unit a 100Ah AGM battery will behave more like a 80Ah battery, take longer to charge and have a shorter life. Not the best value for money when they cost twice as much as a better performing Varta/Bosch LFD90/L5 Wet battery.
Leaving the Calira hooked up to the mains during long term storage can shorten the life of Calira 30/20 and 38/20 chargers significantly.
The electronics are optimised for 220v mains systems of the continent and some of the transformers on the PCB struggle to cope with long term connection to 240v, especially if the batteries are also not the best.
If the mains voltage is higher than 240v, as some more rural UK storage sites can be, there will be an even greater risk of failure. For more info on this see our Long Term EHU web page.
When the motorhome is not in use, just connect 240v Hook-up for a couple of days a month.
SOLAR POWER AND THE CALIRA
Please take care when installing Solar on a Calira 30/20 equipped Motorhome as serious issues can result on some vehicles. Refer to the installation instructions for your model of PDU.
DO NOT USE a Battery Master style device on these vehicles to trickle charge the Starter battery as false triggering of the Calira can occur.
For more information on how to contact us use the Contact Us page.